If you notice that your poop has a green color, should you be alarmed? This article will help answer, “What is the meaning of green poop?”
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Kevin
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June 3, 2022
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Common Questions
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Everybody poops! But do you know what the color of your poop means and when you should see a doctor?
This article will teach you about what it means if you have green poop and when you should contact a doctor about abnormal stools. Keep reading to learn more about your gastrointestinal health!
What Does Green Poop Mean?
If you see that your stool is a surprising color, your first instinct might be to worry. However, there are several reasons why your body might produce green poop.
The first is simply due to diet. If you take iron supplements or eat a large amount of green food, like green vegetables that are high in chlorophyll or foods with green food coloring, you might end up with a green stool color instead of its usual brown color.
There are a couple of other reasons that are not diet-related as to why your poop might have a green pigment, per Very Well Health. First, sometimes, if the food moves through your system too quickly, the intestine does not have enough time to break down the fat-digesting bile to turn your poop brown. This can happen with the consumption of coffee, alcohol, and spicy food.
There are also several bowel disorders and medical conditions that might cause food to move through the digestive tract quickly, thus causing a green stool.
Medical Conditions That May Cause Green Poop
If you consistently have a green stool that is not related to any other possible causes, see a gastroenterologist to be checked for one of the following conditions:
- Ulcerative colitis
- Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (pseudomembranous colitis)
- Crohn’s disease
- Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
- Graft versus host disease
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
- Salmonella
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- E.coli
- Eating disorders that involve laxative abuse
- Celiac disease
- Food poisoning
- Giardia
- Infectious or traveler’s diarrhea
- Lactose intolerance
What Do Other Colors of Poop Mean?
Most normal stools are brown. What does it signify if your poop is a different color? Read on to learn more about all of the different possible colors of poop from Mayo Clinic and Web MD.
If your poop is consistently a color other than brown, make an appointment with your doctor to make sure no larger issues are present.
What Does Yellow Poop Mean?
If you have yellow poop that is also foul-smelling and greasy, your body might be having trouble digesting food. These yellow-colored stools are a result of excess fat in the stool. Having consistent yellow poop might result from celiac disease, meaning the body can’t process gluten.
What Does Pale or Light-Colored Poop Mean?
If your poop is light-colored and pale, it could result from taking diarrhea medicines like Pepto-Bismol or bismuth.
Pale-colored stools could also be a result of a lack of bile in the stool, which might be a result of a liver or gallbladder problem, such as tumors, gallstones, or biliary atresia.
What Does Black Poop Mean?
Black or very dark-colored poop can occur if you consume foods or supplements like blueberries or licorice. However, if you have a tarry black stool, it could signify internal bleeding in the upper digestive tract. This can be a sign of cancer, noncancerous tumors, sores in your esophagus, or stomach ulcers.
Ensure that you see a doctor immediately if you don’t think your black stools are diet-related.
What Does Bright Red Poop Mean?
If your stools are bright red, you might feel panicked that there is blood in your stool. However, this is not always the case. Red stools might be caused by consuming red foods like beets, tomatoes, or red food dye.
If you don’t think this is the case, blood in the stool could occur from bleeding in the lower digestive tract caused by hemorrhoids, colitis, colon polyps, diverticular disease, or tumors.
What Do Different Poop Shapes Mean?
The color of your stool can say a lot about your digestive system, but so can the shape of your bowel movements. Take a look below to see what the different causes of these abnormal poop shapes are from Very Well Health.
What Does Quickly Sinking Poop Mean?
If your stool quickly sinks to the bottom of the toilet, it is very dense. This could be dark and hard, which means that you may be dehydrated or not eating enough fiber. These types of stools sit in the intestines for a long time.
What Does Floating Poop Mean?
Floating stools have an increased amount of gas. These are usually caused by eating or drinking foods that create excess gas, such as beans, sugar, and carbonated drinks. This can also be caused by IBS.
What Does Pebble Shaped Poop Mean?
Pebble-shaped stools are often a sign of constipation and a lack of fiber.
What Does Thin Poop Mean?
Pencil-thin stools can be caused by hemorrhoids or another type of bowel obstruction such as benign rectal polyps, prostate enlargement, or cancer of the rectum, colon, or prostate.
Conclusion
There are several common causes of green poop. If feces travels through the GI tract – your small intestine and large intestine – quickly, it can mean that the bile in your poop does not break down, thus resulting in a green color.
Green poop can also be a result of consuming food dye or cruciferous veggies. If your poop is consistently green, make sure that you talk to your doctor about the possible causes and treatments.
Are your stools normal, or do they have an abnormal shape and color?
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